Plant these 6 perennial vegetables once, and reap their harvest year after year : TreeHugger CC BY 3.0 Rob Ireton Plant these 6 perennial vegetables once, and reap their harvest year after year Traditional backyard gardens tend to be full of annual vegetables that need to be started year after year from seed, and while those veggies can be well worth the time and labor it takes to grow them, planting some perennial vegetables in your garden and yard can end up putting food on your plate for far less effort. Unless you live in a region with a year-round growing season, your tomatoes and peppers (which are perennial by nature) will need to be planted anew each spring, because they can't handle the cold temperatures of winter, but there are other vegetables that can overwinter in many places and spring back to life as soon as soil temperatures are warm enough. By dedicating a garden bed or two to perennial vegetables, especially in a polyculture with other perennials, you can pack a lot of food production into a small area. 6 Perennial vegetables that keep on giving, year after year: 1.

Asparagus: This slender spring beauty is probably the most well-known perennial vegetable, and one of the most coveted early spring vegetables (and the relatively high price in the produce section to prove it). It's not a quick producer, such as many annual vegetables are, but asparagus can end up providing tasty green treats every year once they get established. Although it's possible to start asparagus from seed, you can speed up the harvest timeline by at least a year or two by planting crowns that are several years old, which are usually available in garden centers every spring (or if you know someone with a large asparagus patch, you may be able to convince them to give you some crowns when they divide their plants). 2. Sunchokes: Also known as Jerusalem Artichokes (even though they don't resemble artichokes at all), sunchokes are a relative of sunflowers that produce an edible tuber that is crisp and sweet. This perennial vegetable can be eaten raw or cooked as you would a potato, and is often described as having a nutty flavor. The sunchoke plant itself can grow rather tall, as a sunflower does, so it's well suited to planting as a border or along an edge of the garden.

The tubers are harvested in the fall, with some of them left in the ground (or replanted after harvesting) for next year's plants. 3. Groundnut: The American groundnut (Apios americana), also called the Indian potato, is one of those perennial vegetables that doesn't get much attention, but could be a great addition to any garden. The groundnut is a perennial vine that produces edible beans and large edible tubers (more properly "rhizomatous stems"), and is native to the eastern portion of the US . The vines grow to about six feet long, and can be grown up a trellis (or up other plants) for dense plantings. The groundnuts are harvested in the fall, and as with sunchokes, some should be left in the ground for next year's growth. 4. Artichoke: These thistle relatives, properly called globe artichokes, aren't the most soft and cuddly vegetables, but yield a large tasty flower bud Eeyore would absolutely love.

Growing artichokes does take a bit of room in the garden, as they can grow to 6 feet or more in height, and like most perennial vegetables, a couple of years of growth is often necessary before they've matured to the point that you can harvest enough flowers to grace your table . While they can be started from seed, artichokes can also be planted from dividing an established patch, or from starts available from the garden center. 5. Rhubarb: This perennial vegetable is not only edible, but is also a colorful addition to the garden, and comes in varieties of red, pink, and green (the color of the stalks). Rhubarb is best planted from a crown, which can be acquired from a garden center (or a neighbor whose rhubarb bed is out of control ), and should be allowed to grow for several years before harvesting the stalks for that perennial summer favorite, strawberry rhubarb pie. Only the stalks of the rhubarb are edible, but the leaves, which are toxic to humans, make a great addition to the compost pile. 6.

Horseradish: While it's a stretch to call horseradish a vegetable (it's more akin to a condiment that you either love or hate), this perennial plant from the mustard family is a must-grow for the spicy crowd and the sushi lovers. The leaves of the horseradish (also edible) are rather plain and unassuming, and the small white flowers are nothing to write home about, but the large root of the horseradish is source of the strong flavor that can bring one to tears. In some areas, horseradish can take over the garden with the invasive growth habit of its roots, so when harvesting them in the fall, it can be good practice to remove as much of the roots as possible, and to only replant enough of the root sections as you will need for next year. What other perennial vegetables for backyard gardens or as part of an edible landscape do you grow? How to Grow Rhubarb, Growing Rhubarb Plants in Your Vegetable Garden Holiday Insights How to Grow Rhubarb Rhubarb is considered by many to be an "Old Fashioned" vegetable, found in Grandma or even great-grandma's vegetable garden. But Grandma had a secret...

this perennial vegetable will thrive for years, and is almost maintenance free. So why not put a few plants in your garden, and see why grandma was so fond of her Rhubarb. Important: Rhubarb leaves are poisonous. Cut the stalk at the base of the leaf and discard the leaves. Varieties: There are two types of Rhubarb. The most common has a reddish stalk, while the second has a white stalk with light pinkish coloring and streaking. Their taste is the same. We suggest you grow a few of each for color. Did You Know? Rhubarb is one of just two perennial vegetables, that lives for several years. The other is Asparagus . Sowing Rhubarb Seeds: While seeds can be planted, rhubarb plants are most often propagated by separating the roots, or crowns. A piece of root with at least one bud is planted with the rhubarb crown just at soil level. Plant roots and crowns directly outdoors as soon as the soil can be worked. Rhubarb is hardy, and will survive late spring frosts. If there is a really hard freeze, the leaves and stalk could be damaged, but new ones will soon replace any that are damaged.

Space Rhubarb roots two to three feet apart. They will spread. Rhubarb tolerates a little crowding, but the stalks and leaves will grow bigger and healthier, if you allow them a little space. A few plants is all you will need for a home garden. If you are planting large quantities, space rows three feet apart. Days to Maturity: Rhubarb can be picked in the spring as soon as the stalks are large enough to harvest in sufficient quantity for the recipe you are planning to use. Newly planted Rhubarb will be ready to harvest the following year. How to Grow Rhubarb Plants: Plant Rhubarb in full sun, in a location where they will not be disturbed for years. Plants will tolerate a little partial shade. Being easy to grow, Rhubarb will thrive in most garden soils. For the best crop, add But, it will reward you when compost and manure, or fertilizers. Use a general purpose fertilizer, or a high nitrogen mixture, for well established plants, to promote leaf and stalk growth. Make sure ample water is in the soil during the harvest period. After harvest, don't forget to provide water, to keep your plants healthy all year long.

As a rule of thumb, when watering the rest of your garden, water your rhubarb plants, too. Mulch thickly around plants to keep weeds down, and to help retain soil moisture. Healthy Rhubarb plants will grow and spread. Separate or thin the plants every five years, or sooner if the plants become crowded. Insects and Pests: Insect infestations are fairly uncommon. For occasional infestations, use an insecticidal soap or mild insecticide. Diseases of Rhubarb: Rhubarb is long lived, and suffers few diseases. On occasion, fungus and crown rot can occur. Fungus problems are more common in wet and humid weather, if the plants are crowded. Harvesting Rhubarb: You can harvest the Rhubarb regardless of size. When harvesting, grasp a stalk firmly close to the ground. Twist and pull the stalk, and it should break free of the plant. While harvesting, pick the largest stalks first. Don't let them get too big. Rhubarb stalks will remain sweet and flavorful until the warm summer weather begins. Then, the stalks turn bitter. Hardiness: Rhubarb is as hardy as vegetables come.

They will begin to grow as soon as the ground begins to thaw. No matter hold cold it gets in late spring, the weather will not kill the plant, although in some cases it may damage the first leaves. Rhubarb Recipes: Perennial vegetables: long-lasting flavor for the landscape or veggie garden – WV Garden Guru Gazette-Mail , perennial vegetable Perennial vegetables: long-lasting flavor for the landscape or veggie garden Most of the vegetables we grow at home are annuals (tomatoes, peppers, corn) or biennials (kale, beets, cabbage), plants that have a one- or two-year life cycle and must be replanted on an annual or biennial basis. However, there are a select few vegetable plants that are perennials, meaning they have a relatively long lifespan. Many of these plants live for many years without much maintenance, yielding tasty treats for years if not decades into the future. There’s also the fact that these plants are often highly-prized foods, including asparagus, artichokes and rhubarb. People who know me know I practice the philosophy of edible landscaping. I select plants for my landscape based on their edible qualities.

Luckily, many of these perennial vegetable plants are attractive and find a home right in the landscape. I’ve incorporated several over the years, and plan to keep on adding more. To get you started, here’s a list of my favorite perennial vegetables: Rhubarb This perennial is my perennial favorite (see what I did there). Mother’s Day has me thinking about rhubarb. My maternal grandmother loved rhubarb and would make rhubarb cobblers for various spring and early summer dinners. Unfortunately, my youthful palate did not appreciate the tart treat, but I’ve grown to love it over the years. I found a simple rhubarb pie recipe a few years ago and often bake one up for pot lucks and other dinners. It makes a nice, mounding foliage plant for the landscape, too. Asparagus There are lots of asparagus lovers out there, and the tasty stalk is getting easier to find fresh in the grocery store. Growing your own, however, can be rewarding year after year. A well-planted asparagus bed can last 30 to 50 years with minimal maintenance. While many serious growers plant rows or beds of asparagus, home gardeners can also opt to sneak groupings of asparagus into the landscape.

Each year (after the second year) you’ll be able to harvest several flushes of growth. When the stalks get too small (the size of a pencil), you stop harvesting and allow the plant to grow to a ferny mass that is a few feet tall. Many of the older varieties of asparagus commonly started from seeds, such as the Mary Washington, have both male and female plants. Since they are busy trying to produce fruits to reproduce, the female plants are generally much smaller and produce less than the male plants. Newer varieties that are sold as crowns, such as Jersey Knight, are selected to be all male and are much more productive. Sorrel This is a new favorite of mine. Garden sorrel is a short, compact plant that is a relative of rhubarb and buckwheat. Unlike rhubarb, though, you do eat the leaves of sorrel. The leaves are tart and sometimes lemony and are a good addition to salads or even soups. I’ve added a red veined variety of sorrel to my landscape as a striking ground cover (it will spread, but not rapidly). You can easily start it from seed or plants.

Artichoke While it may be uncommon for local gardens, it is possible to grow artichokes in the garden. If you have a protected area or if winters are mild, these plants can be established as perennials with good mulching. The tasty artichokes that we eat are actually the unopened flower buds of a certain type of thistle. The plants have spiky silver-green leaves that are attractive. A master gardener in Greenbrier County turned me on to the variety Tavor, which produced artichokes in the first season — which is especially good if the winter is harsh and your perennial ends up being an annual. Jerusalem artichoke/sunchoke Not to be confused with the other artichoke, this plant is a type of sunflower that yields tasty tuber-like roots. The plants grow several feet tall and don golden yellow flowers in the fall. At the end of the season, you dig up the roots (leaving some behind for next year) and enjoy. They have a nutty flavor and can be eaten like potatoes (baked, boiled, mashed, roasted). They can also be eaten raw.

Just a few cautions: the plant can be pervasive and spread quickly, and eating too much can result in a gassy after-effect. And many more Those are just a few of my favorites, but there are plenty more to choose from. There’s horseradish (to put on your prime rib), ground nut (a starchy tuber from a legume plant) and several types of perennial onions and leeks. Not to mention all of the herbs. They all make great additions to the vegetable garden or even the landscape. Planting basics There’s one major consideration you need to make when planting perennial vegetables versus the traditional annuals: soil preparation. When you plant a tomato or pepper, you are planning on a year’s worth of growth. When you plant asparagus or rhubarb, you need to plan for a generation’s worth of growth. Because these plants can live for many decades, you want to give them the best start. This usually means adding lots of organic matter to the soil, especially if you have heavier clay soil. After that, you’ll have to rely on side dressing with fertilizer. After the initial planting, there will be limited times to improve the soil, so you have to get it right from the start.

– See more at: #sthash.MXQNx0ny.dpuf Share this: Perennial Vegetables: Years of Bounty | Small Footprint Family Yum Perennial vegetables—crops that you plant just once and harvest year after year—are relatively rare in North American gardens. With the exception of asparagus, rhubarb and artichokes, most gardeners are probably unaware of the tasty, extremely low-maintenance bounty that can be harvested when many annual crops aren’t available. A Brief History of Perennial Crops According to Perennial Vegetables by Eric Toensmeier, most North American gardening and farming traditions come from Europe, where there are very few perennial crops except fruits and nuts. Cold and temperate Eurasian agriculture centered around livestock, annual grains and legumes, and early European settlers to North America simply brought their seeds and their cultivation methods with them, including draft animals for plowing up the soil every year. However, in more temperate and tropical areas of the world, including much of North America, perennial root, starch and fruit crops were actively bred, selected and cultivated. These perennial crops were favored perhaps because they require less work to grow, and lacking large domesticated draft animals, only hand tools were available for farming.

Whatever the origin of our neglect of these amazing plants, we shouldn’t ignore these useful and productive foods any longer. Perennial vegetables should be much more widely available, especially because, compared to annual crops, they tend to be more nutritious, easier to grow, more ecologically beneficial, and less dependent on water and other inputs. Benefits of Perennial Vegetables Perennial Vegetables are Low Maintenance Imagine growing vegetables that require just about the same amount of care as perennial flowers and shrubs—no annual tilling and planting. They thrive and produce abundant and nutritious crops throughout the season. Once established in the proper site and climate, perennial vegetables planted can be virtually indestructible despite neglect. Established perennials are often more resistant to pests, diseases, drought and weeds, too. In fact, some perennials are so good at taking care of themselves that they require frequent harvesting to prevent them from becoming weeds themselves! The ease of cultivation and high yield is arguably the best reason for growing them. Perennial Vegetables Extend the Harvest Perennial vegetables often have different seasons of availability from annuals, which provides more food throughout the year.

While you are transplanting tiny annual seedlings into your vegetable garden or waiting out the mid-summer heat, many perennials are already growing strong or ready to harvest. Perennial Vegetables Can Perform Multiple Garden Functions Many perennial vegetables are also beautiful, ornamental plants that can enhance your landscape. Others can function as hedges, groundcovers or erosion control for slopes. Other perennial veggies provide fertilizer to themselves and their neighboring plants by fixing nitrogen in the soil. Some can provide habitat for beneficial insects and pollinators, while others can climb trellises and provide shade for other crops. Perennial Vegetables Help Build Soil Perennial crops are simply amazing for the soil. Because they don’t need to be tilled, perennials help foster a healthy and intact soil food web, including providing habitat for a huge number of animals, fungi and other important soil life. When well mulched, perennials improve the soil’s structure, organic matter, porosity and water-holding capacity. Perennial vegetable gardens build soil the way nature intended by allowing the plants to naturally add more and more organic matter to the soil through the slow and stead decomposition of their leaves and roots. As they mature, they also help build topsoil and sequester atmospheric carbon.

Drawbacks of Perennial Vegetables Some perennial vegetables are slow to establish and may take several years to grow before they begin to yield well. (Asparagus is a good example of this.) Like many annuals, some perennial greens become bitter once they flower, therefore they are only available very early in the season. Some perennials have strong flavors which many Americans are unaccustomed to. Some perennials are so low-maintenance that they can quickly become weeds and overtake your garden, or escape and naturalize in your neighborhood. (Daylilies are a good example of this.) Perennials vegetables need to be careful placed into a permanent place in your garden, and will have to be maintained separately from your annual crops. Perennials have special pest and disease challenges because you can’t use crop rotation to minimize problems. Once some perennials catch a disease, they often have it forever, and need to be replaced. Perennials Grown As Annuals Some perennial crops are grown as annuals because they are easier to care for that way. For example, potatoes are technically perennials, but we grow them as annuals because pests and disease pressure in North America requires us to rotate potatoes often.

On the other hand, some plants we grow as annuals do quite well as perennials, like kale. Cultivating Perennial Vegetables One way to incorporate perennial veggies into your garden is to expand the edges of an already established garden. Simple extend an existing garden bed by 3 or 4 feet and plant a border of perennials there. Or, if you already grow a perennial ornamental border or foundation shrubs, consider integrating some perennial vegetables, such as sea kale or sorrel. Many have attractive leaves or flowers to enhance the landscape. You can also take advantage of currently unused areas of your landscape, matching the conditions to the appropriate perennial. There are some perennials, like wild leeks, that will grow in shady, wet or cool conditions where you couldn’t ordinarily grow food! If you’re already growing perennial vegetables and want to take your garden or homestead to the next level, consider Permaculture gardening. By imitating nature’s ecosystems, this approach promotes greater partnerships between plants, soil, insects and wildlife. In Permaculture designs, edible vegetables, herbs, fruiting shrubs and vines grow as an understory to taller fruit and nut trees.

This technique is sometimes called “layering” or building a “guild.” Layers or Guilds need to be built over a couple of years. In the first year, plant fruit trees as the outposts around your property. That same year and over the next several years, use sheet mulching to prepare planting areas beneath the trees for the understory plants. Sheet mulch a 2- to 3-foot-radius around each fruit tree the first year and gradually increase the mulched area as the trees grow. After the first year, you can begin planting the mulched area with perennial vegetables, fruiting shrubs and vines.

(For more on this method, see Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture .) 20 Perennial Vegetables for North American Gardens There are many perennials crops that are known and loved by gardeners everywhere, including these ten common ones: raspberries, blueberries and other berry bushes asparagus kale (usually grown as an annual) garlic (usually grown as an annual) radicchio (usually grown as an annual) horseradish lovage watercress But there are actually hundreds of perennial fruits and vegetables that will grow in temperate and warm climates like are found in North America! Perennial Vegetables by Eric Toensmeier is the undisputed bible on this subject. With 241 full-color pages covering over 100 perennial crops that you can grow at home, you will be amazed and inspired to try something new in your garden every Spring! For each plant, this gorgeous softcover reference includes range maps, color photos, climate and historical information, complete instructions for how to raise, tend and harvest, and even recipes and cooking ideas.

Perennial vegetables make the perfect complement to annuals in the garden, and this book will show you lots of ways to incorporate them into both your landscape and pantry. Here are ten delicious, easy-to-grow perennial vegetables you may not know about yet. I’ve selected these from among dozens of perennial vegetables carefully described in Perennial Vegetables for taste, ease of cultivation and cooking, and broadest climate range. Some of the following perennials grow wild in many parts of North America, but because they are over-harvested or they grow in fragile landscapes, it is usually better and more reliable to cultivate your own patch at home. That way you can also plant special cultivars of these wild edibles, carefully selected for taste and adapted for garden conditions. (See nursery list in Resources, below.) No gardener or homesteader serious about growing their own food should be without some of these perennials in their landscape! 11. Bunching or Egyptian Onions Egyptian Walking Onions Some types of onions, such as the fall-planted bunching and Egyptian onions, continue to produce new onions even when some are harvested. The Egyptian onion (Allium cepa var.

viviparum) produces small bulbils at the top of its stalk in late summer. You can use these tiny onions as they are, or plant them in the fall to grow more Egyptian onions. Zones 4-8. 12. Daylilies As any gardener will tell you, daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.) thrive on neglect. So much so, they have naturalized across the United States. While they are primarily grown as ornamentals in North America, they are grown as a vegetable in Asia, harvested for their daily profusion of flower buds, which are used like green beans. The flowers themselves are served in salads or battered and fried. Zones 2-10. 13. Good King Henry Good King Henry Good King Henry (Chenopodium bonus-henricus) is a traditional European vegetable known for its tasty shoots, leaves and flower buds. This spinach relative grows in full sun or partial shade and moist, well-drained soil. Harvest the tender shoots in spring. Hardy to Zone 3. 14.

Groundnut Native to eastern North America, groundnut (Apios Americana) is a nitrogen-fixing, 6-foot vine that bears high-protein tubers that taste like nutty-flavored potatoes. Grow groundnut vines near a shrub (as support) in a moist site that receives full sun or partial shade. Harvest in fall. Hardy to Zone 3. 15. Jerusalem Artichoke Sunchokes In the same family as sunflowers, Jerusalem artichokes (Helianthus tuberosus, also called sunchokes) are grown for their underground tubers. You can eat them raw or cooked like potatoes. Their charming yellow flowers attract beneficial insects to the garden. Jerusalem artichokes are vigorous plants that spread by underground rhizomes and may become difficult to eradicate. Some gardeners consider them invasive. Zones 4-9. 16. Ostrich Fern Many gardeners grow Ostrich ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris) for their ornamental value, not realizing that they can be grown for their delicious, early Spring fiddleheads, which are a coveted delicacy in fine dining restaurants nationwide.

(Fiddleheads pictured at the top.) They love cool, shady spots and are very hardy from Zones 2-8. 17. Ramps or Wild Leeks Ramps are an onion relative (Allium tricoccum) that grows wild in deciduous forests east of the Mississippi, emerging every Spring. They are a local delicacy that many people forage from the wild. How much easier to simply grow your own? Leaves and bulbs are both edible. Grow in a shady border in moist loam, or naturalize beneath trees. Hardy to Zone 4. 18. Scarlet Runner Beans Scarlet Runner Beans Scarlet runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) are usually grown as ornamentals in most people’s gardens, but they are quite edible and nutritious, both as green beans and, later, as dried beans. The flowers, young leaves and tubers are also edible when cooked. Some Scarlet Runner beans plants have been known to live 20 or more years, practically taking over a garden! Hardy to Zone 4. 19. Sea Kale Sea Kale (Crambe maritime) is sometimes grown as an ornamental for its gray-blue leaves and white flowers on 3-foot-tall plants.

The shoots, young leaves and flowers are edible, too. Hardy to Zone 4. 20. Sorrel French Sorrel Sorrel is a perennial herb with tart, lemon-flavored leaves used for soups, stews, salads, and sauces. The two main sorrels grown are common sorrel, Rumex acetosa, and French sorrel, Rumex scutatus. They are relatives of rhubarb, and the leaves contain small amounts of oxalic acid that’s not harmful when consumed in small quantities, (unless you are sensitive to oxalates). Sorrel tastes best in early spring; it becomes bitter as the weather warms. It’s a delicacy that is hard to find in markets because it wilts shortly after harvest. Garden sorrel is hardy to Zone 5; French sorrel is hardy to Zone 6. Resources Perennial seeds and plants can be hard to find, depending on where you live. Here are some resources to get you started. Nurseries Are There Really Only Two Perennial Vegetables? Are There Really Only Two Perennial Vegetables? Recently, many posters online have been perpetuating a myth about perennial vegetables: that there are only two perennial vegetables in existence.

A quick google search for perennial vegetables will produce numerous examples of websites and blogs claiming there are only two perennial vegetable. (For easy examples of this myth in action, visit Wikipedia's Brain Teasers [third question and answer] or Yahoo Answers) . The two perennial vegetables these posters are claiming are the only perennial vegetables, by the way, are asparagus and rhubarb . This is, as my English husband would say, a bunch of rubbish. Vegetable rubbish, no less. Although it is true that asparagus and rhubarb are two of the more well known perennial vegetables, there are literally more than a hundred (at least) of different kinds of perennial vegetables you can grow. In fact, Eric Toensmeier recently published an entire book about perennial vegetables , and in it he lists over a hundred different types of perennial vegetables you can grow. Granted, the kind of perennial vegetables you can grow are largely determined by the climate zone you will be gardening in. For example, rhubarb grows well in the Northern United States and Canada, but does very poorly in the southern regions.

Artichokes, on the other hand, need warmer weather to be perennialized, and do well in California but need to be treated as an annual in the northern United States and Canada. In my next post, I'll discuss what I consider to be the Top Five Perennial Vegetables for the Home Gardener . But for some examples of perennial vegetables other than rhubarb and asparagus that the home gardener can grow: horseradish is a perennial vegetable, as are artichokes, sorrel , cardoon , sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) , and seakale . Even vegetables that are known to most gardeners in the United States, Canada and Europe as annuals, may be perennials in their native environments. This is true of tomatoes and peppers, which when grown in a tropical climate can live for years (or, if brought indoors and placed in a sunny location, may be able to live through the winter even in colder regions). So the next time someone tries to sell you on the idea that there are only two perennial vegetables, serve them some sunchokes with a laugh and a smile! For even more information and advice about growing and selecting perennial vegetables, please visit the Perennial Vegetables Home Page .

Thank you for visiting! Posted by Misha D Perennial Vegetables for Self Sufficiency – The Self Sufficient HomeAcre Lisa Lynn April 16, 2013 Homestead Garden , Local Food , Steps to Self Sufficiency , The Prepared Homestead What is a Perennial? A perennial is any herbaceous plant that will survive for more than 2 years in the proper environment. If you think that vegetables are all annuals that need to be planted each year and fruits all grow on woody trees, think again. There are a number of perennial vegetables and fruits that you can plant once and harvest from for years to come. Why Plant Perennial Fruits and Vegetables? Are you interested in growing your own healthy food, becoming more self reliant, saving money, and planning for the future? Then you should be interested in perennial crops. Your initial investment of time and money will reward you for years to come. Prepare your perennial beds properly, water and weed your plants, top dress with compost, and you will harvest fresh food for your table year after year. Although you need to provide proper soil, water, and sunlight for best growth, most of these plants will eek out an existence and provide you with nutrition even if neglected.

So planting some, or all, of these perennials will provide you with food insurance through the possibility of tough times ahead. What if you just can’t get your regular crops in the ground due to illness or weather? Perennials will come through with nutritious fruits and vegetables. With a little bit of extra work, you can raise enough of these vegetables to can, freeze, or dehydrate for sustenance through the lean times of the year. Propagation will allow you to turn a few plants from the nursery into a nice sized bed of edibles. Walking onion growing from bulbils. Perennial Vegetables A vegetable is any edible part of a plant, other than the fruit. Carrots are vegetables, but tomatoes and peppers are technically fruits. The following is a list of some common vegetables that come back year after year. Asparagus – This delicacy likes sandy, well drained soil in a spot that receives at least 7 hours of sun. It thrives in areas with a cold or dry dormancy for part of the year. Before planting asparagus crowns, thoroughly clean out all weeds and work in compost. Loosen soil to about 12″ deep.

Each crown should be planted 12″ apart in rows 4′ apart or more. Dig a trench about 8″ deep and mound the soil up into a small hill for each crown. Spread the roots around the mound and cover with soil. Add soil or compost periodically to slowly mound up the crown. Water for the first two years and side dress with compost. Wait until the third year to harvest your first spears, and leave some stalks to grow the rest of the summer. Asparagus crowns will remain productive for 20 years and will propagate from seeds. Rhubarb – Often thought of as a fruit, we actually eat only the stems which are vegetables. This crop requires a chilling period below 40 F to go dormant and will not survive in southern climates. Rhubarb likes a soil rich in humus in a spot that receives full sun. Loosen soil and remove all weeds. Compost will get the plants off to a good start. Plant crowns about 2 to 3′ apart to give them room to spread out. Side dress with compost or well rotted manure every year for best results. Don’t harvest the first year after planting and only harvest a small amount the following year.

Rhubarb will produce well for 10 to 15 years and will need to to be divided when plants become too crowded. (Note: the leaves are poisonous!) Perennial Onions – Often called bunching onions or Egyptian Walking onions, these members of the allium family can be eaten at any stage of growth. They have a pungent flavor and can be used as green onions, bulbs, or the small bulbils can be used as pearl onions. Plant the bulbils out in a row to harvest over an extended period of time as young green onions. As they get larger, they will produce a small top set of bulbils and the original bulb will become woody. Another onion will grow from the same root to carry on the next generation. These onions are very hardy and not at all picky. Provide them with decent soil and plenty of sun for best results. They are one of the first plants to green up in my garden each spring and the last to be harvested in the fall. Horseradish – Usually grown for its pungent root, this perennial vegetable can also be utilized for it’s spicy greens. They have a tendency to take over a garden bed, so choose your spot wisely.

Plant roots in the spring or fall in loose, well drained soil in a sunny location. Let your horseradish grow for two years before harvesting in the fall after leaves turn brown or in the spring before new growth appears. Garlic – Every fall, as you harvest your garlic bulbs, replant some of the cloves for a crop the following year. Choose a sunny, well drained spot in the garden. Work in some compost as you harvest and replant. In the spring, clip off the scapes, or young flower shoots, to encourage larger bulbs. Store garlic in a cool dry place to use in the winter. Jerusalem Artichoke – This pretty flower is not an artichoke, nor is it related to them. It does produce a crisp, starchy root that can be used in place of water chestnuts for a veggie stir fry, or it can be cooked and chopped into salads. The flowers are very tall, towering overhead, and need full sun. It’s hard to get rid of these plants once you put them in a bed, so choose your spot wisely.

Although I have yet to try the following perennial vegetable crops, I have read that they are wonderful additions to the kitchen garden and will provide you with fresh greens for many years. I hope to try some of these soon so I may share my experiences growing, harvesting and cooking these healthy plants: Ground Nut, French Sorrel, Good King Henry, and Sea Kale. For those in more southerly climate, you can add artichokes to the list. Check out this video about polyculture cropping your perennial vegetables… Eric Toensmeier, author of Perennial Vegetables, tours his perennial root crop. Do you grow perennial vegetables? Would you like to add more to your garden? GREAT info! I love perennial flowers in the garden so they keep coming back year after year, but I don’t do much with vegetables. Maybe one day! Blessings, James Quinn and David Trinklein Division of Plant Sciences Vegetable gardening is a rewarding activity that can provide fresh, flavorful produce. It offers many of the same benefits as other gardening activities, including exercise, fresh air, landscape beautification and enjoyment. In addition, it promotes a varied and nutritious diet at a lower cost by reducing food expenditures more than the costs associated with growing the vegetables.

Moreover, many gardeners find that their homegrown produce tastes better than what they can buy at a supermarket, thanks to freshness and more choice of varieties. Vegetables are defined as "any herbaceous plant whose fruit, seeds, roots, tubers, bulbs, stems, leaves or flower parts are used as food." Herbaceous is a key word here. Vegetables are generally annual plants, whereas fruit crops are produced from perennial plants, such as trees (apples), vines (grapes), bushes (blueberries), canes (raspberries) or crowns (strawberries). If it is produced by an annual, it is most likely a vegetable. There are two perennial vegetables — asparagus and rhubarb — but we eat the stalks of both, not the fruit. Understanding why a plant, such as a watermelon, is considered a vegetable and not a fruit can sometimes seem archaic, but it can be useful to help determine where they will be found in plant and gardening references. Basics of vegetable gardening Which vegetables gardeners choose to grow will be influenced by what they like to eat, preserve, process, share — or, for the competitive gardener, exhibit. Family resources of time and energy are also a factor.

Some vegetables, such as snap beans or sweet corn, may take more time to manage, from planting through harvest and processing. Space and tools available also help determine what can be grown. For a large area, the gardener will probably need some motorized equipment, such as a rototiller or even a tractor to turn the soil between seasons. A smaller area can usually be managed with hand tools. Simple hand-pushed planters will probably be adequate for even large gardens. Some gardeners may prefer to use organic methods, which are covered in more detail in MU Extension publication G6220, Organic Vegetable Gardening Techniques . Some information from this guide on organic vegetable gardening techniques is interspersed in this chapter. Organic gardening may include reduced expenses from lower input costs and possible human and environmental health benefits, but it may require more time and labor, and frequently results in produce with more blemishes due to insect and disease damage. These days, recommended integrated pest management (IPM) approaches to gardening apply many of the same principles and cultural pest controls as organic methods, with an emphasis on maintaining optimal soil and plant conditions to prevent problems.

Selecting a site G6201, Vegetable Planting Calendar , to see recommended spacing and approximate planting area needed per person for many vegetables' fresh and processed end uses. Selecting the location for a garden is an important decision. The right spot can make gardening more pleasant and convenient and contribute to plant health and survival. In most cases, the primary considerations for a site are adequate sunlight (a minimum of eight hours in the growing season, preferably with full sun), proximity to supplemental water, soil that is well-drained and deep, and convenience for care and harvest. Of course, soil can be amended, water lines run and trees removed. When space is limited, intensive techniques, such as raised beds, can help gardeners obtain more crops from an area. One way or another, many homeowners can find a suitable site on their property. The following are several other factors that can influence siting: Favored areas of pets and or wildlife that might damage plants Tools or equipment needed Proximity to trees and shrubs that will shade plants or draw away moisture.

Compatibility with the landscape design of the yard To size a garden, gardeners should consider their personal limitations of time and skill, as well as the site, the space requirements of the crops they want to grow and the amount of produce desired. Consider starting small and increasing the size of the growing area as you gain experience. To estimate the production area required for each crop, refer to MU Extension publication Climate The climate in the central Midwest makes it possible to grow and harvest vegetables from April to October, or even longer for gardeners who make the most of spring and fall crops. To extend the growing season, gardeners can use simple cold frames, greenhouses or even containers that they bring inside on cool nights. The wide variation in temperature typical of the Midwest, especially in the spring and fall, can challenge the most experienced gardener. If available, a location with a southern or eastern exposure that is sheltered by buildings or trees to the north and west can help create a microclimate to protect against weather extremes such as cold or strong winds. An elevated site that can allow cold air to flow away from plants on clear, still, cold nights is also considered desirable. All but two vegetable crops — asparagus and rhubarb — are cultivated as annuals.

Thus, cold hardiness, which is determined by the lowest winter temperatures typically encountered in an area, has little bearing on vegetable crops. A better guide for vegetable gardening is the American Horticultural Society Heat Zone map, online at #1 . This map rates most of Missouri as fairly warm, receiving 60 to 90 days hotter than 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Refined through years of experience and meteorological data, MU Extension publication G6201, Vegetable Planting Calendar , gives recommended planting spring and fall planting dates in south, central and northern Missouri for more than 35 vegetable crops. The publication also provides some basic nutritional information about these vegetables. Soil fertility Tips on how to side-dress fertilizer in the garden Side-dressing applies fertilizer efficiently to the soil at the side of a row of seeds or plants. It can be done at planting or as an extra application later in the growing season to help provide a uniform supply of nutrients throughout the season. This is often needed because many chemical fertilizers are very soluble, so the initial application may leach beyond the root zone before the growing season ends. For field crops and commercial gardens, a cultivator fitted with a special attachment to distribute the fertilizer is used to side-dress.

For the smaller spaces of home gardens, side-dressing is often done manually. The usual rate for a side-dress application in the garden is 5 tablespoons per 10 feet of row of a high-nitrogen fertilizer such as ammonium nitrate or urea. Asparagus requires twice as much, and potatoes should receive about 7 tablespoons per 10 feet of row. Place the fertilizer in bands about 6 inches to both sides of the rows, then rake it in and water. A combination of chemical fertilizer, organic fertilizer, and mulch also works well. The chemical fertilizers give the initial boost required by young plants; organic fertilizers provide nutrients uniformly throughout the season; and mulch keeps the soil more evenly moist and the nutrients more uniformly available. Primary source: eXtension Consumer Horticulture Community. A good soil for vegetable production is well-drained and deep. It should contain adequate levels of the major nutrients (phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sulfur and magnesium), a pH of 6.0 to 6.8, and an organic matter level of 5 percent or greater. To achieve all these conditions usually requires amending the soil.

The first step to determine the nutritional status of the soil is to take a soil sample. MP555, Soil Sample Information gives instructions for taking and submitting a sample. Recommendations for adjusting the fertility of soil are provided with the soil test report. It is critical to understand these recommendations as you evaluate what to do with the information. Several useful MU Extension publications provide guidance, including MP733, Lawn and Garden Soil Test Interpretations and Fertilizer Recommendation Guide . However, this information does not account for yield estimates or different crops' specific preferences for nitrogen or pH. Nitrogen recommendations are simplified to one application, generally at planting, based on soil organic matter. Application is usually made by side-dressing. If organic matter is high enough, no nitrogen is recommended. For more detail, gardeners can review recommendations for commercial growers, online at soilplantlab.missouri.edu/soil/trucksoil.htm. Many soils in Missouri and the Midwest are low in organic matter, with levels at or below the recommended 5 percent. This means that soil amendments and additional maintenance steps will often be needed. Several MU Extension publications give useful information on improving soils, each with a slightly different perspective.

These include G6955, Improving Lawn and Landscape Soils , G6956, Making and Using Compost , and G6950, Steps in Fertilizing Garden Soil: Vegetables and Annual Flowers Recommended nitrogen side-dressings for popular vegetables.

Crop Ammonium nitrate* per 100 feet row** Time of application (Sprinkle the nitrogen fertilizer in the row middles and water in if rain is not likely.) Annual flowers Four to six weeks after planting Asparagus Before growth begins in spring Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli Three weeks after field transplanting Cucumber, cantaloupe One week after blossoming begins Three weeks later One to two weeks after bulb formation starts Peas and beans After heavy bloom and set of pods Peppers, eggplants One and a half pounds After tuber formation starts Spinach, kale, mustard and turnip greens One pound When plants are about one-third grown Sweet corn When plants are 8–10 inches tall One week after tassels appear Sweet potatoes, watermelons Excessive amounts of nitrogen will reduce yields or lower quality, or both Carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, lettuce None Side-dressings of nitrogen not needed if soil is fertilized well before planting Tomato One to two weeks before first tomato ripens Two weeks after picking first ripe tomato One month later *Other forms of nitrogen such as urea (45 percent N), calcium nitrate (15.5 percent N) and ammonium sulfate (2

1 percent N) may be used on an equivalent nitrogen basis.

**A pint of ammonium nitrate (33 percent N) weighs approximately one pound. Source MU Extension publication Tillage Gardeners typically "work" garden soil one to several times each season. Often, they till soil in the spring to create a favorable seedbed for plants and incorporate soil amendments, and in the fall, to disrupt pest cycles and incorporate organic matter or cover crops. A rototiller or garden tiller is a small mechanized piece of equipment designed for this purpose. Avoid excess tillage. Overtilling can harm soil structure and create a "hard pan," a hard layer of soil that develops at about the depth that the tiller tines penetrate (4 to 6 inches). For similar reasons, gardeners should avoid working the soil when it is wet. Irrigation Potato Tomato Supplemental irrigation for gardens is usually necessary throughout the Midwest, especially during the hottest summer months. When irrigating, avoid shallow, frequent doses. It is best to water thoroughly and less often. Shallow watering encourages shallow roots, which makes plants more susceptible to drought. The best time to water is early morning, about 6 to 8 a.m., because leaves will dry more quickly than in the evening.

Evening watering is also fairly efficient, but plants that are susceptible to leaf disease are more likely to be infected if leaves remain wet overnight. The least efficient watering time is during midday when temperatures are high and evaporation is rapid. Efficient irrigation systems can save a lot of water. Trickle or drip irrigation, including the use of soaker hoses, is the most water-efficient of commonly used systems. Overhead sprinkling generally is less efficient than watering at the soil surface or within the soil. During hot weather, overhead sprinklers lose considerable water to evaporation and runoff. During dry weather, plants need about 1 to 1-1/2 inches of rainfall or irrigation water each week. During very hot weather, their need for water is greater, and watering may be increased up to 2 inches per week. Although drip irrigation is water-efficient, it makes it difficult to determine how much water has been applied. There always will be more water in the soil closer to the hose or to each emitter than at distances farther away.

Check a few spots in the irrigated area by carefully digging out soil with a trowel or spade: The top 6 inches of soil should be moist but not soggy a few hours after the irrigation system has been turned off. If water starts to run off before areas are thoroughly soaked, stop irrigating and do not restart again until the water penetrates so that the soil becomes more absorbent. Efficiency is lost rapidly when water runs off the surface. If you do use an overhead sprinkler, estimate how much water you have applied by placing wide-mouthed cans or jars with vertical sides within the sprinkler area and measuring the water they collect. Reduce water loss from evaporation by watering during the cooler parts of the day. Vegetable crops have periods of development when water use is most critical. These periods depend on the type of crop, as indicated: Root crops, during root enlargement Sweet corn, during tasseling and ear filling Cucumbers, pepper, tomato and melon, during flowering, fruit set and fruit development Onions, during bulb development Potatoes, during tuber initiation and development Crop rotation Practice crop rotation to improve your garden's soil quality and reduce disease and insect pressure.

To rotate crops, avoid planting any vegetable from the same plant family on the same area of ground year after year. The standard recommendation is to plant a vegetable crop from its own family on the same ground only once every three years. This fundamental cultural practice has been used by gardeners and farmers for centuries. It is still one of the best ways to establish healthy plants and soil and to avoid excessive pesticide use. Animal control Deer, raccoons, woodchucks, rabbits, mice, squirrels and even turtles are often unwanted visitors to vegetable gardens. The first line of defense against browsing wildlife is to try to keep them out of the garden area. Locate the garden plot away from areas that are obvious as favored wildlife areas or travel paths. Leave as much open area as possible between field edges and garden plantings. Fencing will restrict many mammals, but a good fence is expensive. To effectively prevent damage from deer, a fence must be 8-feet tall. For many other garden pests, such as woodchucks or turtles, a fence needs to be dug into the soil about 6 inches. Commercially available products designed to deter animal pests through scent, sound or touch, are usually only partially effective and can be a problem to maintain.

Some animals, including deer, are partially deterred by hanging bars of very fragrant soap near plants. The presence of a dog or a cat may be a more effective choice for control, depending on the pests of concern. Seeds and transplants Hardening off Hardening off is the process of exposing young transplants to cooler temperatures, generally in a somewhat protected location, to allow the plants to adapt to the outdoors. It will usually help reduce transplant shock, which can happen as the plant adjusts to its new environment. Gardeners can start many vegetables indoors from seed. Species, such as tomatoes, peppers, squash and onions, that are started indoors and then transplanted to the garden will produce an earlier harvest. Some plants, however, such as beans and carrots, are best sown directly outdoors when weather and soil conditions permit. The proper time for sowing seeds depends primarily on when plants may normally be moved outdoors. This period ranges from four to 10 weeks, depending on the growing conditions and the seedlings' expected growth rate (Table 2).

For estimated time of seeding, and growing comments specific to the most common vegetable plants started indoors, see MU Extension publication G6570, Starting Plants from Seeds , which offers recommendations for selecting seeds, containers and soil mixes or other growing media. It also gives step-by-step instructions for seeding, growing, transplanting and hardening off of transplants. Some gardeners may want to use cold frames to harden off transplants or to start cold-tolerant vegetables, such as lettuce and cabbage, earlier than would possible out in the open. Cold frames, also called hotbeds, are protected plant beds, usually made of a bottomless wooden box with a removable glazed top. They are easy to build and can be made from recycled materials, such as old windows (MU Extension publication G6965, Building and Using Hotbeds and Cold Frames ). Table 2 Timing to sow vegetable seeds in the home garden. Vegetables

Question: There are two perennial vegetables, rhubarb and which other?
Answer: ASPARAGUS